For the Greater Good
by your-lie-in-september
Summary: When the Team is approached by Lex Luthor with the identities of the League and Team, they have no choice but to hack, steal, and lie all in the name of the greater good. As their jobs grow more risky and League catches on, the Team finds that they may be in way over their heads.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Location: Gotham City

June 25, 2011, 21:45 EDT

Team Year Zero

Robin had actually been looking forward to the Team's bi-weekly Friday movie and game night, which had been on hold due the impending doom of finals. The normally long and somewhat chaotic movie and game night was a sign that school was over and that the Team dynamic was back.

They had all been so unfocused for the past couple of weeks, much to the displeasure of the League. Wally was constantly reading his AP World History notes, everywhere: in between training sessions, during debriefings, during lunch breaks and it had been rumored that he found a way to read in the shower. Flash was so fed up with Wally's study habits that he threatened to burn his notes. Artemis was caught mumbling physics formulas under her breath while fighting Black Canary. When questioned about it, she feebly offered the excuse of the AP Physics exam. Conner, not really feeling the anxiety of finals and AP exams, was constantly helping M'gann revise for her Spanish III final. Zatanna was trapped in a flurry of Pre-Calculus papers, struggling to decipher various operations. Rocket had resorted to speaking in French for a week to review for her French III final. Even he had not been immune to finals anxiety. He had attempted to re-read his entire Honor's Biology textbook in a week.

The only one who had lucked out of finals was Kaldur. Being Atlantean, he was lucky enough to avoid the stress of the education system. He dealt with their chaotic study habits patiently, even willing to quiz them if they asked.

When Wally, the last one to complete all final exams, announced that all his exams were done, Robin was pretty sure the League had a private celebration. Green Arrow came out and said that the Cave should never be that quiet again, ever. Canary was happy to have her training session free of Artemis's physics formulas. And, Batman was just happy to have the Team fully functional again.

So in order to celebrate the end of the school year, M'gann and Zatanna organized the eagerly anticipated movie and game night. M'gann decided to rent Back to the Future after a not so subtle suggestion from Wally. Zatanna had also dropped a couple hints to several games of Truth or Dare, Cards Against Humanity, and Spin the Bottle.

Robin had been so pumped for all of that. Heck, he had even persuaded Batman to let him spend the night at the Cave, which hardly ever happened due to a previous overnight incident that happened over spring break. But after a full two weeks of wheedling, he managed to persuade Bats to let him go.

He had actually been on the way to Zeta to Cave when he got a strange text.

Hello Richard Grayson.

He deleted the text and tried to block the number. But, the number kept texting him.

You can't ignore me, Richard. I know who you really are, ROBIN.

His eyes widened and he quickly typed a reply. In hindsight, he shouldn't have texted an immediate reply. He should have thought his reply through, kept a level head, and not react so wildly. Don't give whoever was contacting him any clues.

What disturbed him more was that this number was texting his personal phone, his Richard Grayson phone, not the phone he used to contact his friends on the Team.

How did you get this number? He typed, eyes narrowing. He had stopped walking and was leaning against a nearby tree.

The reply complete ignored his question. Meet me at the Gotham City Docks 10 o'clock. Come alone. Tell your Justice League friends any of this and by midnight the world will really know what lies behind the masks.

Robin began to type furiously. Who was this? How did he know who he really was? How had this person gotten a hold of the identities of the League?

Who are you? How do I know you won't release your supposed information anyways?

When the reply popped up on the screen, Robin could only imagine the sender laughing at what little choice was left for him.

You don't know.

He scowled and stuffed his phone away. He obviously wasn't going to get any answers from whoever was sending him those messages any time soon. He couldn't trust the sender. But, he had no choice but to do what the mystery person wanted him to or risk potentially exposing the entire League. He had no clue if the information this person had was even accurate, but he couldn't risk it.

He decided to go into a nearby café and collect himself. He'd have to skip out on movie and game night and Zeta to Cave later. He'd make up some excuse to give Red Tornado as to why he was late.

He took a seat near a table by a window. His sweaty hands pulled out his Robin cellphone issued to him by the Caped Crusader. He casually gave it to him one afternoon catching him by surprise. Batman explained that it was better to give a different number and have different phone to contact the rest of the Team. It would lessen the chances of anyone discovering who he really was.

He began to type a text to M'gann. Hey M'gann, I have to skip game night. Super sorry. Something came up. I'll be Zetaing to the Cave later tonight. See you then.

He felt bad about leaving the rest of the Team in the dark, but it was for the best. He couldn't risk any screw ups, not when it came to the League's identities, not when it came to his own.

He peered down at his watch he only had fifteen minutes to head down to the docks, which mercifully weren't too far away from his current location. He sighed and stood up. He could feel his utility belt hidden under a jacket that made him bake in the mid-June sunlight.

He always carried his utility belt in case of emergencies. It had come in handy in making quick getaways and getting into the Dynamic Duo gig when the time came for it.

He hoped for once that he wouldn't need it.

xxxOOOxxx

Location: Gotham City Docks

June 25, 22:03 EDT

Robin looked out over the harbor. The nearby street lights reflected off the water's dark surface leaving an odd orange glow. The shops lining the docks were closed and the whole area was essentially empty.

He peered down at his watch. Whoever had asked for him to show up was late. Robin didn't do late.

"They're late," he muttered to himself. At this rate, assuming this mystery person showed up, he wouldn't be reaching the Cave until eleven, assuming that the meeting would take less than an hour.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked from across the dock. He looked up and saw a shadowy figure storming down the dock in his direction. As the figure got closer and closer, he could make the figure melting out of the shadows.

It was a tall girl; her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swished back and forth as she walked. She wore olive green cargo pants, black boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt. Her steel grey eyes were wide and, if he wasn't mistaken, fearful.

"Artemis?" he said incredulously. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the Cave!"

"I could be saying the same thing to you too," she shot back evenly. "Mr. Something Came Up."

He grimaced as she said that. A familiar gust of wind and blur of red hair sped past him as she spoke.

"Woah, looks like it's a party here," a familiar voice said. Wally West. "Rob, Arty, what are you two doing here? Don't tell me I'm not the only one who got those texts."

"This just keep getting better and better," Artemis said sarcastically. The red-headed speedster seemed to wilt a bit at his girlfriend's displeasure. Robin often forgot the two were dating and poked fun at their fledgling relationship. "But, it's good to see you though, Wally."

Robin? Artemis? Wally? a voice echoed in his mind.

M'gann? he asked praying that it wasn't her.

He looked out over the harbor as the bioship de-camouflaged. A hole appeared from the bottom of the bioship and M'gann slipped out. The Martian had her hood pulled over and her hands were fidgeting. She flew down and landed gracefully on the dock.

She looked nervous and anxious. Her green eyes seemed to calling out for help, a silent plea begging to be answered.

"Great," Wally attempted to joke, his voice taut with tension. "Now all we're missing is Conner, Zatanna, Kaldur, and Rocket. We just need Batman here to debrief us."

His attempt at humor failed as Conner showed up on the super-cycle, Zatanna showed up behind a nearby shop bathed in a shower of golden, shimmering light, and Kaldur and Rocket showed up together having Zetaed from the Cave to Gotham.

"It appears that we all have been summoned here," Kaldur stated neutrally, his light green eyes surveying the scene. "Am I correct in assuming that we all were contacted under the terms that if we did not, the identities of the entire Justice League would be revealed?"

He and the rest of the Team murmured in a general agreement. All of them lured here under the same terms and circumstances. Robin could make a list of villains who would love to toy with them like this.

The sound of a slow clap brought Robin out of his thoughts. He turned around as a figure emerged out of the shadow, his face illuminated by the light of a shop's sign. He was clad in a grey suit, his red tie the only sign of color on his outfit, Lex Luthor. From side of Luthor appeared Mercy, his weapon wielding personal assistant, and Ra's al Ghul.

"Congratulations on stating the obvious," Luthor commented dryly. "We apologize for our tardiness. We ran into some complications on the way here," as he said this Robin and the rest of the Team exchanged looks, possible guesses as to what their complications were, were being tossed around through the psychic link. "But, no matter, we've come to do business children."

"I believe that you are mistaken," Kaldur said taking a step forward, his light green eyes steely with resolve. "We do not make deals with the likes of you."

Ra's al Ghul gave a humorless laugh. He surveyed the Team, making Robin feel uneasy. He was looking for something, but what?

"Ms. Ervin," Ra's finally said. "How's your mother doing?" Rocket's eyes widen and she made a strangled noise. "You do worry her with your extracurricular activities."

Zatanna put an arm around Rocket who was standing still as a statue in shock.

"How?" she choked out, her voice wavering cracking slightly.

"The information we have is accurate, and we will not hesitate to release it if your team doesn't do exactly as we say," Luthor said his voice hard and unyielding.

"What do you want?" Wally asked his grass green eyes hard and determined.

Luthor smiled to himself, as if he were amused with the whole situation.

"You will do series of tasks for us. No questions asked," he stated smoothly. "You will do it without the knowledge of the League. If the League finds out about this, there will be consequences. I'm sure that you all can figure out what those are."

We can't M'gann said her voice tinged with defeat.

What choice do we have? Robin asked. If we go to any outside source, they'll release the of the entire Team and League.

We're on our own. Zatanna whispered her arm still around Rocket.

"Fine," Robin spat, disgusted that he was even considering complying with Luthor's demands. "What do you want us to do?"

"This should be easy for you, Boy Wonder," Luthor said a small smirk on his face. "You have forty-eight hours to hack Justice League computers and send us File E2. Don't look at it. Just send it to us. I'm sure you know a way to send it to me, right Richard?"

xxxOOOxxx

Location: Mount Justice

June 25, 23:36 EDT

M'gann had flown them back to Mount Justice, telling Red Tornado that they met up for a bite to eat somewhere in Gotham.

She had barely looked at him.

When Luthor said his name, Robin felt like a carpet had been yanked from under his feet. Everything he had worked so hard to keep secret, to protect, was destroyed with two words.

Right, Richard?

Artemis was pissed off and even that was an understatement. He could feel her glaring daggers at the back of his head the entire way to the Cave. The fact that Wally had known his identity hadn't helped his case either. If anything, it made Artemis angrier not just at him but at Wally too. He was expecting a good bit of yelling at him from her later on.

Kaldur was unsurprisingly calm about it. Maybe it was because Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson were names that didn't hold much weight in Atlantis? Or perhaps it was the fact that Kaldur might have understood why he hid his identity? He didn't know.

Conner's expression was guarded. Robin couldn't out what the clone was thinking. He was silent and staring out the bioship windows. He had been emotionless as Luthor exposed him. Whenever Conner looked at him, he felt as if he was looking through him. Was he trying to figure him out as well?

Zatanna and Rocket were a bit harder to read. The magician was tense and restless. Her clear blue eyes were conveying silent messages to Rocket. The two were close, most likely because they were the newest members of the Team. They hadn't quite formed the bonds that the veteran Team members had created.

As they all gathered in the entertainment room, he could feel the pressure on him increase. Red Tornado had departed for the night and the next League member to show up at the Cave wouldn't be coming until morning.

There was no desire to watch the movie anymore, and Robin could feel it. They or he rather, had two days to find File E2, send it Luthor, and not alert any League members. Normally, this wouldn't have been hard for him. He'd hacked the Justice League before, but the League got an upgrade. He'd need a bit of time to poke around with the new system.

"What now?" Zatanna asked, breaking the tense silence. "I doubt watching a movie would do us any good."

He could feel his lips being drawn tightly into a line. He needed to explain everything to them and gain their trust back.

"Follow me," he said his voice taut. He made his way down the Cave halls to his room. It was next door to Conner's room and was seldom used.

He could feel the presence of the rest of the Team behind him as he opened the door. He flipped the light switch, revealing a pretty bare room. There were only a couple posters of various Justice League members, namely Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Green Arrow, and Flash, on the wall. His bed was neatly made with Doctor Who themed sheets, a gift from Wally.

"We can talk here," he said as Wally plopped on his bed and Team members took root in various parts of his room. "There are no cameras here. And, only Batman knows the override code to this room."

The Team sent wary glances at him.

He had expected this. He needed to get them to trust him, and he knew only one way to get their trust.

He removed his sunglasses. He closed eyes for a moment, hearing someone gasp. And as he slowly opened his eyes, Artemis approached him…and slapped him in the face.

"What the heck, Grayson!" she yelled at him, her grey eyes ablaze with anger. "How could you not tell me this? We go to the same school. You're that freshman that took a picture with me my first day of school!"

"I told you we'd laugh about that one day," he joked as Artemis slapped his arm, still scowling.

"So you're Richard Grayson?" Zatanna stated a smirk on her face. "Does this mean that Bruce Wayne is Batman?"

He nodded. Batman would kill him if he found out that he had revealed his identity.

"He can't know that you guys know though, not yet."

Kaldur put a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the reassuring aura radiating off the collected leader.

"Fear not," he said. "We are with you for this. You needn't worry alone."

He gave a small smile and tried to get himself to relax. These people were his friends and shared a healthy fear in Batman as well. He was in good company.

"Thank you," he said as he let out a relieved breath. "And if we're going to do this, you might as well call me Dick."

"You have such pretty eyes," M'gann commented smiling. He looked over at the Martian who was sitting at the lone desk in his room. Conner was standing behind her sending him a reassuring smile.

"So Dick," Rocket said hesitantly, as if testing to see if the name worked.

"Yes?" he replied teasingly. It had its desired effect. She smiled at his tone and seemed to relax.

"We have forty-eight hours to hack League computers, send File E2 to Lex Luthor, and not tip off the League. Can you do that?" she asked her usual sassy tone back.

He sighed. He honestly wasn't sure if he could. If he had more time, he could probably do all of that and much more on League computers, like program the Zeta tubes to play handpicked songs whenever certain League members Zetaed to the Cave.

"If I had more time," he began slowly, "maybe. The League just updated their computer systems. There's no telling what could have been changed. I'll need to poke around the system first."

"We'll help you, Dick," Wally said from his spot on the floor, his green eyes fierce and determined. "Can you access League computers from your desktop here?"

The speedster gestured at the desk where M'gann was seated at where a desktop computer was stationed.

He raised a brow as he made his way to the desk. "Is that even a question?" M'gann got up from her seat and offered the chair to him. "Sorry M'gann."

"Not a problem," she said giving a small smile.

Robin frowned as he typed away at the computer. The system, thankfully, wasn't changed too drastically. As he tapped into the database, he found that passwords had been changed, the ordering of all the files was changed, and security was overall tighter.

He sighed. This was going to take forever. He could probably crack the system in three or four days, if he wanted to avoid tripping the new security measures. But, he only had two days. If he wanted to get this done in that amount of time, there was no guarantee that the League wouldn't find out about it.

"If I want to get into the system in two days, there's no promise that I won't tip off the League," he said to the others as he continued to type. "If I had a bit more time, this job would be easier but…"

He let his sentence trail. There wasn't anything to really add to it. They all knew the potential consequence of failure. They were on their own. There was no League for back up. If they screwed up, it was on them.

"What can we do to help?" Zatanna asked her voice filled with an optimistic air to it. "I mean there has to be something we can do. This isn't just your task."

He let out a small humorless laugh. "There's nothing really that you guys can do to help, right now. If anything, I guess you could keep the League off my back while I do this. The last thing we need is them snooping around."

There was a period of silence after he spoke. The only sound present was the sound of him typing. He was keenly aware however that Kaldur and Wally were exchanging meaningful looks, most likely trying to communicate without the psychic link, a private matter.

"You guys can go if you want," he said finally. "Our mentors are under the impression that Wally and Artemis are probably making out in a closet right now, or something. Go, I don't want to bore you guys."

Artemis snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Not a chance, Grayson," she said putting a hand on the desk and her other hand on her hip. "This is a Team task, not a you task. Didn't think you could be so egotistical."

The others began laughing, and slowly he felt himself laugh with them. It felt good to laugh with them, not just as Robin, but as Dick Grayson. He was glad that they knew who he was. It was like having a weight off his shoulders.

Now, he could enjoy that feeling a whole lot more if didn't have to worry about a two day deadline and the overall safety of the League to worry about.

xxxOOOxxx

Location: Mount Justice

June 26, 9:17 EDT

Recognized Green Arrow 08. Black Canary 13.

"Woah, you kids look like you died," Oliver said. "Joking, joking. You don't look that bad."

Apparently, Dinah had given him on of her death stares, reprimanding him. The said woman was still in her civvies as was Oliver. The pair had decided to show up to check up on the status of the Team after their game night.

Dick figured that they thought that they had gone wild last night. They probably thought that Wally and Artemis made out in a closet somewhere, Conner took M'gann on a joyride, Zatanna 'kidnapped' him, and Rocket and Kaldur were the only two to actually stay and enjoy the movie.

"So, how was it?" Dinah asked, her presence taking on a motherly tone. "Nothing too crazy happened, I hope."

"We're all in one piece," Wally replied. "The Cave is still standing. Nothing insane ended up on the internet. So yeah, nothing too crazy happened here."

"Well it's good to hear that you all had fun," she began her eyes drifting over to M'gann who was stifling a yawn. "Even if you all are exhausted. I hope you will all be ready for our training session later."

She and Oliver bid their goodbyes and Zetaed to the Watchtower. Batman and the other mentors weren't due to arrive until later, which gave them some time to work on their assigned task.

Robin, how far have you gotten on finding the file? Kaldur asked via the psychic link.

I was finally able to grasp the full scope of the new system at around three in the morning, he replied. I should be able to access the file soon.

Why do they even want that file, anyway? Rocket questioned. What so special about that file that they don't want us looking?

No suggestions were given as to why Luthor was being so secretive. The whole thing was so underwhelming.

It's completely whelming, he stated flatly. We can figure it out later. Damage control can happen after we send the file to Luthor.

Be that as it may, we don't know how important this file is to the League, Kaldur countered. We don't know what we are handing over to Luthor, and in turn, the Light.

Robin, Zatanna said suddenly, her blue eyes meeting his own hidden behind his sunglasses, could you make a copy of the file, so we can look at it after we send it to Luthor?

He gave a small snort. C'mon Zee, that's child's play.

Zatanna gave a smirk, her eyes twinkling mischievously. He knew she probably wanted to say more, but didn't want everyone to hear. Rocket, who had picked up on Zatanna's looks at him, shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to kill some time," he said aloud. "I could use some more sleep before Bats and the others arrive.

He gave a pointed look at Kaldur conveying his true message. He was going back to hacking the League.

"Sounds like a plan," Wally said. "I will be in the kitchen if anyone needs me. I can't work on an empty stomach."

With that, Wally sped off to the kitchen to satisfy his bottomless stomach. M'gann and Conner left after him to make sure the kitchen didn't get destroyed in the process, and Zatanna coerced Artemis and Rocket into going out around Happy Harbor. This left Kaldur, the ever responsible leader, with him.

"Dick," he said his voice low, as to not be heard by the security cameras stationed around the Cave, "if you need help-"

He raised a hand stopping Kaldur mid-sentence. Kaldur's presence was reassuring as always, but he didn't want to bore the Atlantean. Besides, he had made a fair amount of progress and hacking was a pretty solitary job.

"I'm fine Kaldur," he said giving him a reassuring smile. "I don't want to bore you anyways. Go enjoy yourself."

The Atlantean seemed hesitant, but eventually gave into his request. Kaldur ended up going to the entertainment room to kill time and potentially join Conner in watching static.

Dick didn't mind the solitude of coding and hacking. It gave him time to think, which was always nice. Being Robin required being both physically and mentally quick. So, having some time to think and act at his own pace was always a plus.

If it hadn't been for the fact that he to work with a two day deadline, Dick could almost believe he really did have a lot of down time before training and that hacking League's computers was just a pet project.

He sighed. One day he would really have this kind of down time, one day.

xxxOOOxxx

So, I know this chapter is a bit long, but I'm pretty happy with it so it's all good! Thanks for reading the start of this story. It was really just a plot bunny that refused to leave my mind…so here we are.

This takes place after the end of season one but before the massive time skip. That's why I figured this would probably be the Year One Team before any other members are added. I'm not quite sure if I'll have new characters (ex: Aquagirl, Tempest, etc.) mentioned in this story. But, I'll figure that out later.

Thanks again for reading, and feel free to drop a review in the box below.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _ **Location: Allen Family House, Central City**_

 _ **June 26, 13:17 CDT**_

"You're serious, right?" Uncle Barry laughed as Wally flushed a bright red. He slapped him on the back, and Wally lurched forward his body fraught with tension. His uncle, sensing his rigid stance, stopped his show of affection and stared at him, green eyes filled with concern. "Kid, you alright?"

"I'm fine, Uncle B," Wally replied adding a fake yawn hoping that it would throw his uncle off his case. "Just a bit tired. We tried for an all-nighter last night."

Uncle Barry gave a snort. "How'd that go for you all?"

"Not very well," he replied. If only his uncle knew the half of it…

"How was last night?" Uncle Barry asked as he got up from the living room couch.

Wally was seriously regretting his decision to spend the day at his uncle's house. True, his parents were out of town, but he could have stayed at the Cave if he wanted to or even at his own house. He loved Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry, but with Luthor's deadline looming over him and the rest of the Team he needed to keep calm. His uncle asking him about his previous night in the Cave wasn't helping.

"It was good," he replied as his uncle made his way to the kitchen. "You know we did the usual stuff, grabbed a bite to eat, watched a movie, played a couple games."

"Nothing too wild?" Uncle Barry asked. The older speedster was probably rummaging through the fridge for some food.

"Not a chance, Uncle B," he said trying to laugh off his uncle's concern. "You know us, responsible, mature…"

"I also know that all of you made out on New Year's Eve," Uncle Barry countered. "The League's pretty familiar with how crazy you kids get, like that one time over spring break."

He groaned. "It was that one time! It wasn't _that_ bad."

He could almost imagine his uncle rolling his eyes as he prepped food.

"Keep saying that, kid."

Wally rolled his eyes.

"Do you want anything, Wally?" Uncle Barry asked.

"No thanks," he replied. He felt a faint buzz in his back pocket. He pulled out his phone. It was Robin, in the Team's group chat. He was asking for Wally to video chat with him and the rest of the Team. "I'm going upstairs. Rob's asking to video chat."

Uncle Barry nodded a bit distracted. "Don't forget you have training later!"

He raced upstairs and into the guest room, or his room rather. He slammed the guest bedroom door closed. The guest bedroom was his room away from away. He spent so much time at his aunt and uncle's house that he just left things there and Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry didn't bother to move them.

He plopped himself down in a cushioned swivel chair stationed in front of a desk. On the desk was a computer that his uncle had surprised him with on his fifteenth birthday, it was an old computer from his uncle's office. His uncle managed to sneak it away before it was thrown out and replaced with a new, and probably much nicer, computer.

Next to the computer was a family photo. It was the West-Allen clan in front Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry's house when they first bought it. His mom and dad were on the bottom step of the door stoop, standing on either side of him both laughing at his discomfort at being in the middle. On the step above them were Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry, Uncle Barry was messing with his hair, a rueful smile on his face. Beside Uncle Barry, Aunt Iris was shaking her head, a hand covering her smile. She was trying to be disapproving but was failing.

He gave the computer mouse a small shake, as he woke his computer up from sleep mode. He selected the private video chat program Dick had designed for the Team and waited for it to load.

He could call Robin by his name in front of the Team now. He wondered how many dick related jokes they would make. And, now that Robin's i.d. was blown, could the Team crash at Wayne Manor? How would Batman reacted when he found out that his cover was blown? Did Batman know?

Wally shuddered. When Batman finds out about all of this, assuming that they were able to deal with this fiasco, they are all **so** dead.

"Hey, Fleet Feet," Artemis said through the computer speakers. The video chat had loaded. She was sitting on her apartment fire escape with Zatanna by her side. In another panel, Dick was in his room typing away at what looked like another computer. The remainder of the Team: Rocket, Kaldur, M'gann, and Conner were in Robin's room in the Cave, the only established safe spot from the League. "Glad you could join us."

He flashed a sleazy grin at the camera. "Not as glad as I am, babe."

He pretended not to hear the fake gagging sounds that Dick and Zatanna were making and the knowing smiles that M'gann and Raquel were exchanging.

"Dick," Kaldur said, interrupting his and Artemis's banter. "Status update."

The raven haired hacker looked up from his laptop.

"I got my hands on File E2 and copied it," he said, his mouth in a thin line. "I just need to send it to Luthor."

"Is the League aware of this?" Kaldur asked.

"Unless Batman is suddenly okay with me hacking the Justice League again, I don't think the League knows," Dick replied a small smirk on his face.

Zatanna laughed. "Couldn't expect anything less from our Boy Wonder."

Raquel made a face, but said nothing. Artemis rolled her eyes and had a small smile on her face.

Wally shook his head. He wondered how Zatanna would go about her relationship with the Boy Wonder now that she knew he was the ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne.

His stomach gave a growl, and he pulled out a granola bar. He discreetly opened it and began munching.

"Are you eating?" asked Artemis incredulously, a brow raised in question.

"Would it be bad to yes?" he asked as he swallowed.

He was met was chorus of laughter. He feigned a hurt expression.

"That hurts, guys. That hurt me right here," he said as he put a hand to his heart.

"Good thing you heal fast," Dick laughed over the speakers.

"At least Supey isn't making fun of me," he said over their laughter. "He gets me and my metabolism, right Supey?"

The Boy of Steel, who was normally the quiet one during conversations, was caught off guard by his question.

"Ummm...sure," Conner replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

M'gann laughed and put an arm Conner and pecked him on the cheek.

Wally noticed as M'gann did this, Raquel and Kaldur exchanged looks. He wanted those two to get together. The Atlantean was still hung up over a girl from his homeland. Raquel was obviously interested in him, which made the whole thing even more frustrating.

"So what now?" Raquel asked. "We got the file. Dick is sending it. And we've pretty much finished Luthor's task with one day to spare."

"Luthor will probably reach out to us and give us the next task," he muttered darkly. "I hate doing this guys. If we screw up…"

"But we're not going to screw up," Dick said his tone leaving no room for argument. "We can't screw up."

"Everything will be fine," M'gann said nodding in agreement.

"The League is going to be so pissed," Artemis sighed, running a hand through her long blonde hair. "Scratch that, Batman is going to be so pissed."

The Team was in a general consensus, that if the League found out about any of this some serious shit was going to hit the fan.

"Wally!" a voice from downstairs shouted. It was his Aunt Iris home early from work. "Can you help me unload some stuff from my car?"

"And on that note, I have to go," Wally said, tossing his granola bar wrapper into a nearby trash can. "My aunt's here. I'll see you guys at training."

The rest of the Team bid their goodbyes as Wally signed off. He raced out of the room and slammed the door. He raced downstairs and out into the driveway.

Aunt Iris was at the back of her car unloading her trunk. Uncle Barry was beside her staring at her lovingly as she spoke. She was still in her formal work clothes of dark slacks, a white blouse, blue dress jacket, and heels.

"Hey Wally," she said as he came up to greet her. "How was your night with the Team?"

"It was great, Aunt Iris," he replied, forcing a smile. Just great.

xxxOOOxxx

 _ **Location: Wayne Mansion, Gotham City**_

 _ **June 26 15:20 EDT**_

After Wally signed off, the Team had gone their separate ways. Artemis and Zatanna had left to have a girls' day out. The rest of the Team at the Cave signed off hastily because of Red Tornado's unannounced entrance.

Dick sighed as he put the finishing touch on the file he was going to send to Luthor. He had inserted it discreetly into Luthor's personal files. And if Luthor wasn't paying too much attention to his files, he had left him virtual breadcrumbs to find it.

A knock came from his door.

"Master Richard," Alfred said, his voice muffled by the door. "Miss Gordon is downstairs in the kitchen and is requesting to see you."

Barbara Gordon was in his kitchen. Great, just great. Having his best _civilian_ friend downstairs was the least thing he needed. Babs was one of the few people who could read him like a book. She was so going to see past his 'calm' facade.

"I'll be there in a minute," he replied.

He put his computer on sleep mode and got up from his seat. He shut his bedroom door, careful not to slam it and risk a scolding from Alfred, and he raced downstairs.

As he rounded the corner, he could already hear Barbara's chatting with Alfred. She sat at bar stool placed at the island countertop. Alfred was standing beside her indulging Babs in conversation.

She wore a white linen t-shirt, jean shorts, and sandals. Her fiery red hair was tied back into ponytail and her grass green eyes had a hard inquisitive light.

"Hey Dick," she greeted him smiling. "Alfred was just telling me about your summer plans. Rhode Island?"

He flashed her a smile. "Rhode Island is all the rage, Babs. You should go sometime."

She rolled her eyes.

"Why are you here, Babs?" he asked her. He took the bar stool beside her, and Alfred exited the kitchen.

"You seemed off this morning when you texted me," she said, her green eyes trying to peer into him. "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"So you just showed up at my door," Dick deadpanned. "Alfred let you in didn't he? He's always had a soft spot for you."

She laughed, her laughter high and clear.

"I'll try to call ahead next time,"she said. "Is Bruce here?"

Bruce was at the Watchtower doing League stuff that he refused to tell him about. If anyone asked….

"Bruce is visiting a Wayne Enterprise science lab in Oslo. It's a low key visit," he replied. "Why?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Just curious. I haven't seen him around lately. The last time was at that charity gala, but he had to leave early because something came up at the office."

"Yeah, he does that. But, it's kind of in his job description."

She nodded. "Yeah I know. If you see him tell I say hi."

"Will do, Gordon," he said. She punched his arm lightly at the use of her last name.

"Hey Grayson," she commented, catching the playful glint in his eyes. "Did you hear about that new spy movie coming out this summer?"

He shook his head. He hadn't been keeping up with movies, television, and other stuff like that with finals and everything happening.

"What's it about?" he asked.

With that, Barbara launched into a description of the movie. They talked and laughed like normal teenagers, and for a moment Dick felt as if everything was alright.

xxxOOOxxx

 _ **Location: Mount Justice**_

 _ **June 26 19:56**_

"I think that's enough for today," Black Canary said as the lights of digital training floor dimmed. "Good work today."

Artemis nodded as Dinah said this. In all honesty, they were all a bit distracted. Before training had started, Dick told them over the psychic link that he had sent the file to Luthor and that they could look at the file copy later.

Thankfully, Dinah hadn't picked up on any of this, sparing them the task of making up a crappy excuse for their behavior.

 _Meet me in my room._ Dick said as he made way to the showers.

She surveyed the rest of the Team. Dinah had yet to Zeta out and was talking to Conner. M'gann had disappeared to her room to freshen up. Raquel was talking with Kaldur, and Zatanna stood off to the side watching them. And Wally…

A blue rushed by her, and she felt an arm being put around her shoulder.

"Hey, babe," Wally said a smile on his face. His jade green eyes were smiling right along with him.

"Hey Baywatch," she replied removing his arm gently. "How were things with your uncle?"

"Oh you know, same old same old," he replied easily. She could tell that lying to his uncle wasn't easy for him. She put a hand on his arm, hoping this action spoke more than words could.

 _Recognized Black Canary 13._ The Zeta tube announced as the blonde League member Zetaed back to Star City.

"We should probably go," she said, quietly.

He nodded, his green eyes clouded with an unreadable emotion. His eyes met hers, and fought the urge to look away. She had been trying ever since New Year's Eve to open up to others, to not be afraid of getting herself hurt by letting her emotions out. She wanted to get used to the idea that having emotions wasn't a sign of weakness.

They made their way down to Dick's room. The said hero's room wasn't as empty as it had been previously, ever since it was made an established safe zone. Wally had dumped a bag of his things in the room. M'gann had lovingly tacked up a silly photo of the Team that she had taken on spring break. Conner brought in an additional chair.

Artemis rapped on Robin's door knowing that the rest of the Team was already there. She registered Wally standing beside her and the sound of the electronic door swishing open.

She was welcomed with the sight of Dick seated at the computer with Kaldur hovering above him. Conner was seated in the chair that he brought with M'gann in his lap. Zatanna and Raquel were seated on Dick's bed.

She took a seat next to Zatanna, and Wally stood next to Kaldur. She watched as Dick began furiously typing, his computer screen doused in red.

"No, no, no, no," he muttered. "It was here. I copied it just this morning."

"Dick," Kaldur said in an attempt to calm the hacker.

Dick pounded his fist against the desk. She felt Zatanna move to stand up, and she put a hand on her to sit down. He didn't want comfort right now. She could tell.

"It's gone," Dick said his tone bitter. "I just hacked the League for the Light, and handed over a file that we don't know anything about."

"Not I," Wally amended his voice firm, "we. We're doing this together, Dick. It's not all on you."

The redheaded speedster eyes met hers, and for some reason she felt lighter. He seemed to brighten too. His eyes no longer held the same unreadable emotion it had had before. His jade green eyes were clearer and hopeful.

"It's not your fault, Dick," M'gann piped up from her spot with Conner. The clone nodded in agreement with her.

"Yeah," Raquel added, from beside Artemis. "Someone probably hacked your files while you were away. There might be digital breadcrumbs you could follow, right?"

"I've already tried that," he replied frowning. "Whoever was in my files were good. They managed to wipe away any trace that they were hacking me."

Now, Zatanna got and put a hand on him. He looked up at her, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. Artemis almost forgot that Dick had shocking blue eyes. She wasn't used to seeing him without his sunglasses. It a bit disconcerting to him without them. She still couldn't fully grasp the idea that Robin was Dick Grayson, who went to her school and had trolled and continued to troll her.

"That being said," Kaldur said finally, "the fact remains that we do not know what we have handed over to the Light."

His statement hung in the air, and Artemis resisted the urge to metaphorically hang herself on it. He was right, though. They knowingly and willingly handed over information about the League to the Light. On top of that, they didn't even know what kind of information they gave the Light. If the League found out, she couldn't think of them gaining any forgiveness.

As they thought about the potential repercussions of their actions, she felt her phone beep and vibrate in her jean pocket. She took out her phone, expecting it to Bette Kane or another of her Gotham Academy classmates.

She pressed the lock button of her phone and it lite up, revealing a new message. It was from private number. Her heart rate quickened as she read the message. It had to be him of all people.

 **Hey baby girl…**

She cleared her throat, her eyes meeting with Wally's again.

"I think I have our next assignment."

xxxOOOxxx

 _ **Location: STAR Labs, Taos, New Mexico**_

 _ **June 27, 11:47 MDT**_

"I can't believe that I got stuck doing this job."

Zatanna wasn't happy and that was an understatement. She just had to pick the short straw and get stuck with the job of actually stealing the file.

"Umm...I'm here too," Wally added, mock offended.

" _He wants us to break into STAR Labs and steal a journal from Adam Strange?" Artemis had asked incredulously. "Is he insane?"_

 _Sportsmaster, Artemis's father, sent the text for their next assignment. He wanted them to steal a physical copy of one of a journal that belonged to Adam Strange. According to him, Strange was overly protective of his work and recorded his work in a journal._

" _Strange is the scientist responsible for creating and maintaining the League's zeta transportation," Dick informed them matter-of-factly. "He's working on making the Zeta tube faster and even more secure."_

" _Could the Light be looking into our Zeta capabilities?" M'gann asked, her normally chipper tone, sounding more concerned than anything._

 _A heavy silence settled over them. If the Light wanted more information on the League's Zeta capabilities, they could potentially cripple the League if they wanted. Or they could access all League strongholds without having to override the system._

" _We have to do this," Wally said, his tone flat. "What choice do we have?"_

" _What's our time limit?" Raquel asked peering over Artemis's shoulder._

" _We have three days," she replied, sounding like she was still a bit in shock._

 _Three days to break into STAR Labs and steal from the man who helped the League in making Zeta transportation a reality. This whole thing was starting to sound more and more like a nightmare._

"You have fifteen minutes," Robin said through her comm. "Strange will be back from his meeting by then. If we need it, Kaldur and Rocket can try to intercept him and buy some time."

Zatanna wished the Artemis was here with her. But, Kaldur insisted that Artemis, M'gann, and Conner remain behind in the Cave to deal with Red Tornado. The said robot thought that she and the remainder of the Team were running errands, if only.

"We've reached Strange's lab," Wally whispered into his comm.

She put out her hands over the locked door, trying to center her magic on it. Magic took concentration and mentally strength. If her mind wasn't complete on the spell, she was more than likely to screw up on it. And, screw ups were the least thing they needed.

" _Kcolnu siht rood,"_ she muttered under her breath. She let out a sigh of relief as the digital lock flashed a green lock, opening the door. "You know what to do Kid."

Wally nodded as he zoomed around Strange's lab searching for his journal. He rushed past her as she took a position next to the door, keeping an eye out for Strange.

"Ten minutes," Robin whispered through her comm. She could faintly hear the sounds of him typing furiously.

"Kid," she hissed at him. Wally was rapidly flipping through papers. The redhead looked up his green eyes alert.

"I know, Zee," he said in an equally tense tone as he went back to searching.

She popped her head into the hallways. It was empty for the moment. But, she could almost imagine the sounds of Rocket and Kaldur floating down the hallway. She tensed, they could not be here, not now.

"That's really interesting, Dr. Strange," a voice, Rocket, said loudly. She could hear the hidden urgency in her tone. She was trying to warn them.

"Wally, did you find it?" she asked, her voice bordering on pleading.

He looked up at her, his green eyes filled with panic. No, he had to have found the journal. They needed it. They really, really needed it.

"It's not here," he said, his eyes wide. "It's not here."

xxxOOOxxx

 **AN: Hey guys! Thank you for all the follows/favs/reviews! It means the world that you all have enjoyed my story so far. I'm honestly so excited to be working on this and your support is incredible. Excuse any grammatical errors, I'm feeling lazy (and beta-less). I'm not extremely happy with this chapter because it felt a bit rushed to me, so feedback is appreciated!**

 **Thanks! R &R!**


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